Satwiksairaj–Chirag upset as Dhruv Kapila–Tanisha Crasto reach mixed doubles quarters at Asian Games 2026
Defending men's doubles champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were eliminated on Friday, September 25, as individual badminton competition at the Asian Games 2026 commenced at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium; Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto progressed to the mixed doubles quarter-finals.
India recorded a mixed opening day in Ichinomiya, with three combinations advancing and three pairs exiting the tournament. The most notable result was the shock first-round loss for the fourth-seeded Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty to Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun and Pakkapon Teeratsakul, a pairing listed as World No. 36. Several Indian singles players received first-round byes, while others began their campaigns on the court.
Satwiksairaj and Shetty won the opening game 21-12 but were overturned by the Thai duo, who took the second game 21-19 and closed out the decider 21-14, leaving the Indians defeated 21-12, 19-21, 14-21. The result ended the pair’s title defence from the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou and removed a top Indian medal prospect from contention on Day 1.
In women’s doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand advanced after a three-game contest with Hong Kong’s Lui Lok Lok and Tsang Hiu Yan, prevailing 21-16, 16-21, 21-16. Treesa and Gayatri are scheduled to meet Japan’s Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto on September 26, a rematch of the encounter they won earlier this week in the women’s team event.
Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto won both of their mixed doubles matches to reach the last eight, opening with a 21-8, 21-7 victory over Maldives’ Ahmed Nibal and Aminath Nabeeha Abdul Razzaq before edging Malaysia’s Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie 22-20, 24-22. Their reward is a quarter-final meeting with top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China.
India suffered two other doubles defeats on Day 1. Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi were beaten 21-9, 21-5 by Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilysa Trias Puspitasari, while Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun lost 21-14, 21-11 to second seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri.
After the opening day, Unnati Hooda, Treesa Jolly–Gayatri Gopichand and Dhruv Kapila–Tanisha Crasto remain in their respective draws, while Satwiksairaj Rankireddy–Chirag Shetty, Kavipriya Selvam–Simran Singhi and Hariharan Amsakarunan–MR Arjun have been eliminated.
Play continues on September 26, when PV Sindhu—who received a first-round bye—will begin her campaign against Chinese Taipei’s Chiu Pin-Chian, Lakshya Sen will face Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew, and Ayush Shetty will meet Kazakhstan’s Makhsut Tajibullayev as India’s singles players start their individual matches.